Their Hidden Princess (Zora) novel Chapter 10

**Where Sleeping Rivers Dream We Follow Trails Toward Tomorrow**
by Evan Miles Cade

**Chapter 10**

With a gesture of gratitude, I lifted the item towards him, my gaze deliberately averted. Instead, I turned to Loren, who stood nearby, her brow furrowed in perplexity. After a moment, she redirected her attention to Maximus, managing to compose her expression into one of neutrality.

“I’ll see you in Combat?” she inquired, her voice steady yet laced with an underlying tension.

Max merely nodded, then turned away from us, his back retreating as he made his way back to his room. A sense of dissatisfaction bubbled within me, compelling me to step into the hallway beside Loren.

“Hey!” I called out, my voice echoing slightly in the corridor. He spun around, his eyes wide with apprehension, while his mouth formed a tight, thin line. The fear that flickered across his features made me hesitate; clearly, whatever had caused it was not something I wanted to delve into. Instead, I found myself blurting out something utterly foolish.

“Aren’t you supposed to be my mentor or something?” I asked, trying to sound casual.

Maximus let out a sharp laugh, crossing his arms defiantly. “Do I look like I want to be your mentor?” he shot back, his tone dripping with disdain.

“Well, no,” I replied, mimicking his stance in a half-hearted attempt at bravado. “But considering I’m the target of this year’s hunt, I was hoping you could guide me through it.”

“I have no interest in Kairos’s hunt,” Maximus retorted, his voice cold and cutting. “I keep my distance from his affairs, and in return, he stays out of mine. End of story.”

“But yesterday—” I started to argue, but he interrupted me, his voice laced with malice.

“Yesterday, I got caught up in the excitement,” he snapped. “I have no intention of continuing with these ridiculous games. Nor will I intervene.”

“Then don’t,” I shot back, turning sharply on my heel.

I strode back into my room, Loren following closely behind. She gently shut the door, a look of concern etched on her face.

“There’s something about you that he just despises,” Loren remarked, shaking her head in disbelief. “I can’t quite put my finger on it.”

I let out a derisive snort. “Thanks for the insight, Loren,” I muttered, plopping down onto the floor and flipping open the handbook. “I wonder if there’s anything remotely interesting in this.”

Loren settled beside me, her expression skeptical. “Probably not,” she said with a sigh. “It’s just the basics. Vampires enslaved us, tried to wipe us out. Blah, blah, blah. Training to defend ourselves if they come back. The end.” She tilted her head thoughtfully. “But your schedule is usually at the back. Flip to it, and I’ll fill you in on what I know about first-year classes.”

I turned the pages to the very last section and was met with a schedule reminiscent of my high school days, yet this one was filled with absurdly intense classes. Instead of “Art,” it boldly proclaimed “Beginner Battle Tactics,” and “Selective Weaponry with Knives” took the place of “Science.” However, I was pleased to see “Lupine World History” listed; that was one subject I felt confident I could excel in.

“These classes are absolutely insane,” I commented to Loren, incredulity spilling from my voice. “Does everyone who’s a wolf take these?”

She shook her head, a granola bar appearing in her hand as she took a thoughtful bite. “Non-Alphas usually go to vocational schools. Some even head straight to the military without any formal education,” she explained, swallowing. “But all Alphas? They attend schools like this one.”

“Great,” I mumbled, the weight of reality settling heavy on my shoulders. It seemed I was stuck with “Scenting and Tracking,” a subject I had never even considered I could handle.

Loren pointed at my schedule, her finger tracing the lines. “Your first class this morning is ‘Lupine Transformative Shifting,'” she informed me. “That’s how we learn to control our shifts. After that, you have a break, followed by two classes in the afternoon: ‘Advanced Lupine Physics’ and ‘Advanced Lupine Biology.'”

“What on earth are those?” I asked, bewildered.

“Think of them as human biology and physics, but focused on wolves and other members of the lupine family,” Loren explained, her tone lightening a bit.

Maybe this wouldn’t be as dreadful as I had initially thought.

“I-I can’t,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper, sounding small and defeated.

Valencia raised an eyebrow, clearly unimpressed. “You cannot?” she pressed.

I shook my head, feeling the weight of disappointment settle over the group. Kairos looked positively triumphant.

“She’s wolfless, Professor,” he sneered. “I don’t even understand why she’s in this class. Perhaps she’d prefer something more suited to her abilities—like crocheting?”

A few wolves nearby snickered at his comment. Valencia shot him a warning look.

“Mr. Moonraiser, that’s enough,” she reprimanded him before turning her attention back to me. “That is no matter, Miss Smith. You will passively learn until your inner wolf decides to join us.”

If, I thought bitterly, a nagging voice echoed in my mind. I imagined strangling her for her insensitivity but settled for a nod instead. Valencia nodded back, seemingly satisfied.

“Right, so,” she continued, addressing the class. “Since Miss Smith is wolfless, she will be our first prey this year.” She turned back to me, her gaze unwavering. “You have ten minutes to hide, then allow yourself to be hunted and scented by the rest of the class. Please begin.”

I blinked at her in disbelief, my mind racing. She motioned for me to move, and without a second thought, I dropped my backpack and bolted into the forest.

By that point, I was utterly exhausted from running. My legs felt like limp noodles. I was grateful I hadn’t wasted time showering and styling my hair for this wild escapade. A few minutes into my frantic dash, I spotted a massive log and slipped behind it, trying to wedge myself out of sight against the forest floor.

A chorus of howls erupted from deep within the woods, signaling that my time was running out. I froze, squeezing my eyes shut in dread. I could hear wolves leaping over my log, their presence sending shivers down my spine. Then came a low growl that made my blood run cold. I opened my eyes to find a massive silver wolf, its deep gold eyes locking onto mine with an intensity that sent panic coursing through me. It was Kairos.

The wolf lunged toward me, and I instinctively squeezed my eyes shut again, bracing myself for the inevitable.